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Sam Hilliard (32, KT Wiz), who won the RBI title in his first season in the KBO League, sent congratulations to Kim Do-young (23, KIA Tigers), with whom he engaged in a fierce home run race until the very end. Although he narrowly missed out on the home run crown, he also revealed confidence that he had not yet shown all of his skills.
Hilliard reflected after finishing Korea Series (KS) preparation training at Suwon KT Wiz Park on the 21st and meeting with reporters: "It was incredibly enjoyable just to be able to participate in the home run race. Fans and the media showed a lot of interest, and especially KT fans cheered for me to win the home run title. I myself would have loved to win it if I could."
He continued, "That said, I didn't try to put too much pressure on myself. If you focus too much on hitting home runs, they actually don't come out as well, so I tried to concentrate on having good at-bats. Above all, the most important thing was for the team to finish first in the regular season and win games."
This year's home run race ended only on the final day of the regular season. Hilliard hit his 44th home run of the season in the final game against the Samsung Lions on the 11th, finishing the season tied with Kim Do-young for the lead. However, Kim Do-young hit a dramatic two-run homer in the final game against the LG Twins the next day, on the 12th. It was the moment he clinched the home run title alone with his 45th home run of the season.
Hilliard praised him, saying, "Kim Do-young hit a home run in the final game of the season to claim the home run title. I really want to say that it is amazing and congratulations. Hitting a home run on the last day of the season to win the home run title is truly special."
Although he missed out on the home run title, Hilliard's first KBO League season was dazzling. This year, in 142 games, he recorded a .304 batting average (171 hits in 562 at-bats), 44 home runs, 139 RBIs, 116 runs scored, and 10 stolen bases, with an on-base percentage of .374, a slugging percentage of .593, and an OPS of .967. He won the RBI title and finished second in home runs, third in runs scored, and fifth in hits, contributing to KT's regular season championship.
It was not smooth sailing from the start. Hilliard, who signed with KT last December for a total of 1 million dollars (approximately 14 billion won), received high expectations due to his power, having hit 44 home runs in 332 career Major League games, and his excellent athleticism. However, through April, he managed only a .232 batting average, 5 home runs, 21 RBIs, and an OPS of .728 in 28 games, leading to discussions about the possibility of him being replaced. Hilliard confessed, "Because I came to a new league and team, I put a lot of pressure on myself. I felt strongly that I had to live up to expectations, but things did not go well in the early part of the season."
However, KT did not waver easily. KT Manager Lee Kang-cheol (60) and the coaching staff believed in Hilliard and waited for him. Hilliard stated, "I didn't think my inherent abilities had changed. Rather than making big changes, I focused on maintaining what I was doing well. It helped a lot to get used to facing the same pitchers multiple times, and the hitting coaches also provided much help."
The wait led to a turnaround. He rebounded with a .350 batting average in May, .318 in June, and .365 in July. In July, he smashed 9 home runs and 26 RBIs to win the monthly MVP. From September to October, he also swept up 14 home runs and 40 RBIs in 32 games to earn his second monthly MVP of the season. It was the first time a foreign player had won the single-season monthly MVP twice.
Thanks to Hilliard's performance, KT also secured its first regular season championship in five years with a record of 90 wins, 5 draws, and 49 losses. He became a player mentioned as a candidate for the regular season MVP. However, Hilliard did not forget his respect for his competitors.
Hilliard said, "Kim Do-young and Kwak Bin also had very good seasons. Austin Dean cannot be left out either. I think Austin also had an amazing season where it would not be strange if he won the MVP. Just being mentioned as a candidate alongside these players makes me happy. Whoever wins will be a reasonable result, and I want to congratulate them." He added with confidence, "I do not think the form I showed at the end of the season is my best. I believe I can show an even better form in the future."
Now, eyes are turning to the Korea Series. KT will challenge for its second unified championship against the winner of the playoff between Samsung and KIA starting November 2. Hilliard stated, "I know that the heat of the Korean postseason is very intense. I am also looking forward to playing in such games. However, rather than doing anything particularly different, I plan to prepare exactly as I have been playing."
He continued, "Our goal is to focus on what we can do and win games to ultimately achieve the championship. We will prepare for good games so that we can live up to the fans' enthusiasm."
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*This content was translated by AI.View Original
